A Band of Brothers
An award-winning charity helping young men grow and develop,
improving their lives and the communities they live in
As featured in:
It works
Learn about abandofbrothers from the young men and mentors in our short video below
The Vision
A world where every man fulfils their potential with a sense of meaning, connection and purpose
abandofbrothers (ABOB) works with young men involved in the criminal justice system. We provide them with the support they need to make the transition to an adulthood free of crime, and filled with a sense of belonging, connection and purpose.
The young men we meet have often experienced or witnessed domestic violence. They may have been abused or else kept someone else’s abuse a secret. They may have lived in care or experienced neglect. They may have grown up where drug and alcohol abuse is commonplace and where positive adult role models are in short supply.
Our work transforms the lives of young men and their communities, whilst saving the state (and ultimately the taxpayer) £40,000 a year for each avoided incarceration. Instead, we create well-rounded men who contribute back to society with healthy aspirations and a renewed sense of wellbeing.
“I had never believed I was worthy of anything, and this weekend helped me realise that I was worthy of a job, a future and more. I really like that all the men are there for each other. It makes such a difference.” Jake, ABandOfBrothers graduate
Our work gets results
We're consistently proud of the results that the young men who complete our ‘Quest for Community’ programme achieve; with 80% of participants either going on to not re-offend or reporting a much lower severity in their offending behaviour.
We achieve this success by bringing young men and adult role models together for an intensive rite-of-passage programme coupled with an accredited mentoring curriculum. This immersive journey both challenges and encourages the young men’s growth, whilst providing them with the foundation of a lasting community and a wider network of support.
Our pioneering approach has been tailored to address the key contributors to offending behaviour identified both within the Social Exclusion Unit's report "Reducing Re-offending by Ex-prisoners" (2002) and equally the findings of the MOJ report "Transforming Rehabilitation: a summary of evidence on reoffending" (2013).
Our impact on the five primary areas highlighted in these reports can be seen in the outcomes below, that were taken from our most recent longditudinal evaluation in 2018.
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Education, Employment and Training
73% increase in participants being in Employment, Education or Training. Paid employment rose from 7% to over 50%.
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Mental Health
81% of participants showed an improvement in levels of self-esteem and self-worth.
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Housing
67% of young men were securely housed compared to only 40% before.
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Substance Misuse
The proportion of young men with severe addiction issues dropped from 51% to 14%.
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Personal Relationships
Over 80% of participants experienced less conflict. Violent responses to conflict fell from 71% to 14%.
Additionally many of the young men have returned to staff training weekends for both the adult mentors and their own peers, with some developing themselves still further by going on to become mentors themselves.
And, although our programmes have a distinct start, middle and end, at abandofbrothers we subscribe to Desistance Theory (i.e. behavioural and attitudinal changes occur through sustained immersion over time). For this reason, another unique aspect of what we offer is that young men can return to their local community circle whenever they wish and for as long as they need. Our longest running weekly circles have been held by volunteer men at the same time, on the same day, for over 10 years.
Learn more
Use the links below to learn how we approach the complex challenges and achieve these results
Our stats at a glance
Could you give £1 a week to change the lives of young men and your community forever?
The TeamMeet the people making it happen
Mentors
abandofbrothers relies on the dedication and service of its wonderful mentors.
Meet our Mentors
The Hub Team
Experienced men and women who keep our operations running smoothly.
Meet the Hub Team
Trustees
A wise group of elders who hold our vision and keep our feet on the ground.
Meet the Trustees
Press ArticlesWe're making waves in the press.
Our work in local communities is now having an impact throughout the UK. We are incredibly grateful to the journalists and publications that have championed our work. We are also very honoured to be receipients of the Queen's Award for Volunteering.
